News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-03
The Cambridge School Cabinet.

; CAMBRIDGE VT, Feb. 20, 81.
MesSrs. Editors:
The cabinet Of minerals and curios
tiles belonging to our village schoo
contains more than 400 specimens
Nearly all of these are neatly mum
: bered and enrolled upon the catalogue
The specimens are almost indispensi
BILE to the geology class; also 0
great interest to the older, as we'll al
the younger members of the school
AS to the origin of the collection it il
only fair to state that it has beer
gathered entirely by the efforts of the
teacher, Miss Fitch, seconded by her
pupils. The specimens, mostly OF
native rock, obtained while the Misses
Webster were in charge, are not in
the cabinet, having been lost in the
confusion incident to the remodeling
of the school-house. 1t has been es-
tlmated that quartz rock comprises
nearly three-fourths of all the rocks
on the earth's surface, so of course it
predominates in every collection.
Take, for instance, cabinet contain
ing 262 specimens, at least 10 of
them are quartz (silica) or compounds
of silica with other substances. The
above estimate does not include any
thing containing the clay metal alum
ina, although clay is formed by the
decomposition of feldspar, which is a
silicate. that is, it contains quartz or
slick. 1t is impossible to here de-
scribe all the specimens, but mention
may be made of few. 1t is hard to
realize that the amethyst, ranking
among the precious gems is only a
quartz crystal, colored by the oxide
of manganese, which gives to it a
beautiful color, but yet the diamond
is only crystalized carbon, or as some
one has termed it, ''glorified char
coal" There are pieces of black and
white flint, which is simply compact
variety of quartz. One specimen
comes from Dover, Eng, and another
from Northern Illinois an Indian
arrow head from the latter State and
also one obtained in Ohio. The most
beautiful variety of quartz, however,
is chalcedony, of which the agate
and carnelian are species. There are
three excellent agates from the West,
also two carnelians. When chalce-
dony is bright red it becomes a car
nelian; when different shades of col
or run in parallel lines it is termed an
agate. Evidences of volcanic action
are not wanting for the obsidian once
poured from the mouth of the volca-
no in the shape of CLASSY lava. Pun
ice stone, used in polishing marble, is
a form of lava being porous. Coral,
shells and star-fish may be counted
in the wonders of the ocean. Ashes
tos, greenish or silvery white miner
al of fibrous texture, is represented
by fine specimen from Lowell, Vt.
The Greenlanders use it for lamp
wicks; the Yankees prepare it for
roofing and tiremen's uniforms. The
name "asbestos," term derived from
the Greek, ''unquenchable," ''inde
structable by fire." Pliny states that
he has seen table-cloths, towels and
napkins Of amianthus, a silky kind of
asbestos, taken from the table at
great feast, thrown into the fire and
burned before the company, and so
rendered cleaner than if they had been
washed.
Some Of the specimens which might
be mentioned are iron pyrites, or
"fool's gold," lead ore, gold ore and
the more valuable one, even, of anti
mony, from which quicksilver is ex-
tracted. Anthony is bright red in
color, and glittering particles of mer-
curry are scattered through it. There
are also the following: Silver clip
pings, ryrites-commonly called rock
diamonds-coal, copper in quartz,
melted cinders of iron, melted cop
per, limestone from the Garden of
the Gods, Colorado. In this connec |
ton is pretty incident. One of the
little ones was overheard to say while
looking at the cabinet, 'There's
stone that came from Heaven" This
created quite commotion among the
younger ones, who were incredulous
as to the truth of the assertion. "Why,
Mamie, what makes you say that?"
The teacher said so! can't you be-
ieve what the teacher says" Even
this failed to convince and more pos
tive declarations must be made. "She
said it came from Gods garden, and
God lives in Heaven, don't HEP"
The little people enjoy looking at
The collection, and it is interesting to
near their funny remarks about new
and strange specimens. From differ
emit parts of the State country might
be mentioned conglomerate, mass
Of pebbles cemented by the action of
water containing lime, from Hog back
Brandon, limestone stall
agmite from Illinois. 1t is a common
error to confuse the words stalagmite
md stalactite, but the former name is
applied TO the formation made on the
loor of cave by deposits of lime
which evaporates from the dripping
water, while stalactite is the icicle
Ike form which hangs from the roof.
There is also specimen from Mt.
Deception, Maine, and one from
leaks Island, Casco Bay, off the
oast of Maine, limestone from Wi
looski, pebble from Santa Barbara,
jal., coquina, or shell limestone from
florida. The oldest Catholic church {
n St. Augustine, which is the oldest /
own in the United States, is built of l
locks of this limestone. Minute
bells adhere together, forming the
oquina. Blue limestone from the {
anks of the Hudson and stone from |
lake George, terra Gotta from the IA
nous tile mandatory at Glen Falls,
I. Y, all are here. An interesting
ellie is piece Of the old stone fort at
'ergennes. But to continue the list.
frantic, sandstone, mica-often in =
called ''isinglass" i
ray and black slate, shale, talcose z